1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to diagnostic measurements and therapeutic treatment of body cavities. More particularly, one form of the invention concerns a method and apparatus for making dynamic biomechanical measurements of a body cavity. More specifically, the method involves the use of pressure and flow of fluid (liquid or gas) in and out of the body cavity to characterize the elastic properties of the cavity wall and to draw conclusions as to the presence or absence of disease in the organ that contains the cavity. Another form of the invention concerns controlled pressurization of the body cavity for therapeutic purposes, which includes both pain/discomfort resolution and motility rehabilitation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the past pressurized inflation of body organs and body cavities has been used in a variety of fashions. Some of these uses include air inflation of a body cavity for purposes of visualization (colonoscopy, laparoscopy) and others to deliver vital oxygen into the lungs (artificial ventilation), and intrauterine insufflation to check for patency during an ablative procedure. The use of pressure to extrapolate mechanical properties of tissue or body cavities has also been used to a limited extent in pulmonary function testing.
Other existing technology uses a balloon inserted in the rectum to measure threshold for sensitivity or pain in individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The machine is called a ‘Barostat’ (Brouin, M., Gastroenterology, 10 Jun. 2000: 122(7): 1771-7). The Barostat can also be used to measure stress/strain relationship of the wall of the rectum (Whitehead, W E, Dig. Dis. Sci., 1 Feb. 1997: 42(2): 223-41; Disrutti, E., Gastroenterology, 1 May 1999: 116(5): 1035-42). The current invention measures biomechanical properties without the use of a balloon. The Barostat is not used for therapeutic applications like the current invention.
Biologic tissue is known to be viscoelastic in nature, a property that is known to be altered by disease state.
In Irritable Bowel Syndrome the colon loses its ability to coordinate movement due to increase, decrease, or alteration in its muscular tone. However, as will become apparent from the description which follows, these spastic or flaccid tendencies are measured and treated by the method of the present invention.